Improvement in velocipedes



B. A. JOULE. Velooipede.

No. 216,190. Patented June 3,1879.

, velocipede.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN A. J OULE, OF SALE, COUNTY OF CHESTER, GREAT BRITAIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN VELOCIPEDES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,190, dated J nne 3, 1879 application filed March 10, 1879 patented in England, September QB, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN ARTHUR J OULE, of Sale, in the county of Chester, Kin gdom of Great Britain, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, for which an English Patent, No. 3,827 of 1878, has been granted to me, relates, principally, to the construction of that class of velocipedes called tricycles, wherein a single driving-wheel is employed behind and two steering-wheels in the front; but it may also be adapted to velocipedes with two wheels on the hind axle and one or two steeringwheels in front.

For the sake of illustration, I will now dcscribe the invention as applied to a tricycle with one driving-wheel on the hind axle and two steering-wheels on the leading axle.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a partial front view, showing more clearly the arrangement of the steeringaXle.

The seat a a for the rider is placed immediately above the driving-wheel b I), so that his weight assists the hold of the drivingwheel I) b on the ground, and prevents its slipping, which is an essential point, especially in ascending hills. The driving-cranks c c are keyed (or forged) on the main or hinder axle, d d, both on the same side of the center, "so that they throw together. They are connected by rods 0 cto the upper end of two vertical oscillating levers, f f, the center of motion of which is at on the main framing h it above the front axle, t t. The upper ends of these levers f f are level, or nearly so, with the hands of the rider when seated,,and are caused to oscillate to and fro, so as to impart rotary mot-ion to the cranks, by means of a hand-rail, 7t 7t, which the rider grasps with both hands, the outer ends of the said rail being connected by horizontal side rods, 1 Z, to the upper ends of the levers f f.

It will thus be evident that by alternately pushing forward and pulling backward the 'said hand-rail k is, (assisted by a rocking 1110- drivi1'1g-wheel,)is capable of turning a definite distance to the right or left on a vertical pivot, n n, attached to the frame h h. 011 each side of the foot-board 0 0 is a lever, 19 p, pivoted on the frame h h, and having on its upper end a treadle, q q. The lower ends of these two levers p p are connected by cords 1' r, or other suitable appliances, to the front or steering axle, i i, one on each side of the central pivot, n, and thus by means of his feet the rider can either keep the front axleyi 1', parallel with the driving-axle d d, and thus cause the machine to travel in a straight line; or, by advancing either foot he can steer the machine either to the right or left, as he may desire.

s s is a box to contain luggage, 860. The foot-board 0 0 is also made to lift on a hinge, and beneath it is asmall box for oil-can, tools,

'or other like articles.

scribing witnesses.

B. A. JOULE.

Witnesses J N0. HUGHES, FERD. BOSSHARDT. 

